A recent tragedy occurred in Indian River County, Florida when an elderly man tried to save a turtle. The reptile was slowly ...

When we picture sea turtles in the wild, it's easy to envision them as armored warriors—their hard, resilient shells serving ...

Turtle shells are covered by scutes, plates made of keratin, the same material in fingernails. Scutes grow in layers like tree rings, forming beautiful swirls that preserve a chemical record of ...

The colorful layers on top of turtle, tortoise and sea turtle shells are made of keratin–basically the same tissue that makes up human nails. But with turtles, the keratin forms in layers over time.

The shells of chelonians—think turtles, tortoises, and sea turtles—grow in layers, keeping a time-stamped record of environmental conditions.

The colorful layers on top of turtle, tortoise and sea turtle shells are made of keratin–basically the same tissue that makes up human nails. But with turtles, the keratin forms in layers over time.

Think of a turtle’s shell, ... In this new design, the layers actively collaborate, changing how force travels through the material. Buckling used as a feature, not failure.

Dear Dr. John, I have two turtles, ages 55 and 35. They have been healthy for almost their entire lives. I’ve never had to take them to the vet but recently, one of them developed a hole in ...

The researchers suggest turtle shells could be an even better indicator of radionuclides in the past environment than tree rings are: Sometimes, the elements in a tree’s wood can diffuse between ...

The shell is then covered in an outer layer made from keratin, the same substance human fingernails are made from. Next time you handle a turtle, remember their shell is an integral part of them ...